The open layout allows Burke to visit with guests in the family room or follow TV cooking shows.

The open layout allows Burke to visit with guests in the family room or follow TV cooking shows.

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Nancy Burke shows her kitchen in her home outside of Boerne on May 1, 2013.

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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Cooks & Cocinas: Nancy Burke

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As their nest emptied, a Boerne couple opened up their kitchen to make it more welcoming. “I want you to come into my kitchen and feel like you're in your kitchen,” the homeowner says.

Who's cooking: Nancy Burke, creator of Nanny Bee Designs custom nursery and baby accessories and the mom of two adult daughters. Her husband, Wes, works for an auto dealer.

What's cooking: “I like cooking what people like to eat,” says Nancy, a creative type who likes to duplicate dishes she's sampled in restaurants. Anything fried is cooked by Wes. “The man can make a mean chicken-fried steak,” she says.

In this kitchen: What began with replacing appliances seven years ago evolved into a to-the-studs makeover of the kitchen in the house the Burkes built 20 years ago.

The space: About 21 by 15 feet. As many as 40 people can gather in the kitchen and adjoining breakfast and family rooms, ideal for hosting bridal showers and baby showers, Nancy notes.

On the surfaces: Counters of Shire-stone, a polymer and concrete composite, were poured in place. Shades of green, gold and brown splash across the surface for the look of natural stone.

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Smaller versions of the floor tiles repeat on the backsplash, where they are accented with brown glass tiles. “I didn't want a lot of patterns going on,” Nancy says in explaining her backsplash choice.

The same chocolate-colored glass tiles wrap the vent hood. They are interspersed with custom tiles depicting beehives, expressing Nancy's love for a bee motif. The tiles, found online, were one of the biggest splurges in the project, she says.

Why it works: A wire chef's pantry keeps staples organized and more visible than wood versions of the flip-out shelves. One cabinet stores savory foods, while another holds ingredients for baking.

Easy-to-clean surfaces accommodate a much-used kitchen and a household that includes a golden retriever and a Shih Tzu.

Removing a wall from a previous hallway at the end of the kitchen provided space to extend the island. The additional island area is a dining table for two.

From the prep areas on the island and the counter by the sink, Nancy can see through to the family room to talk with guests or watch TV cooking shows. Wes can see his TV above the refrigerator from the island.

Making choices: Nancy researched materials and appliances and chose her color palette long before construction began. Pulling together a wish book of ideas from magazines and catalogs helped her to narrow choices and keep them organized.

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Seven years later, she has no regrets. “I don't think there's anything I would change.”

Learning to cook: Nancy began cooking as a child, and she's still learning. “I was a latchkey kid, and I started cooking at the age of 10. Mom would leave out the meat, and it was up to me and my sister to cook it. Then I started to experiment.” She recalls one trial gone awry: pork chops with cinnamon. “It was awful,” she says, laughing.

Now, her part-time job at Kiss the Cook, a shop brimming with kitchen gadgets and cookbooks, gives Nancy a chance to try out new gizmos.

She particularly likes her “wicked sharp” ceramic knife.

“It's amazing what you can do with a really good knife and a cutting board.”

Know of a good cook with a great kitchen? Email suggestions for Cooks & Cocinas to Home & Garden Editor Tracy Hobson Lehmann, tlehmann@express-news.net.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the name of Nancy Burke’s custom nursery and baby accessory business. It is Nanny Bee designs.